The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-08-26
Practical Education in the Public Schools
[For the COLUMBIAN.

Ihat the last half q century has Wit
messed vast improvement, in our sys-
tenn of educating the young, is self
evident fact, but, that there is still
room for far greater revolution be-
fore our public school system shall
have reached a degree of practicability
in educating young men and women
for the active duties of life, sufficient
to supply the demand of the times, is
also truth which presents itself forcib-
ly to the mind of every thinking man
or woman.
Turn which ever way you will, in
any of the large towns and cities, and
you will see crowds of idle men and
boys, lounging about the corners of the
streets and in barrooms-not because
there Is nothing to do, but because
they do not know how to do that which
is TO be DONE. Many of them-the
greater number, perhaps-have spent
their school-days, from five to ten or
fifteen years, pouring over the techni-
calities of grammar or committing dry
and uninteresting lessons in geography
to memory to be forgotten as soon as
the recitation is ove-, or, perhaps,
many months of valuable time are
spent on the different osophies and
ologies, which can never be of any use
in after life, in the business of earning
bread
Go into almost any of our public
schools and call upon member of the
ga" class in grammar to write mani
fest, draft, or even bank check and
the chances are ten to one if he is not
obliged to refer to the Dictionary to
see what you mean. A prominent bust
ness man made the remark not long
since, in our hearing, that he had re.
ceived a letter from graduate of
State Normal School, in which the
graduate spoke of himself with a small
''i'. Horace Greeley once said, Il
know there are to-day one thousand
college graduates-some of them hav-
ing graduated at German universities
who are walking the stony streets of
New York and know not how to earn
living.
That is a condemnation of our uni
versity system. As a preparation TOR
professional life-I should rather say
for certain pursuits in life-it may be
very we'll but when see, as l do see,
so many men, whose education has
cost so much, find themselves totally
unable with all that, to earn a living
not immoral men, nor drinking men,
but men, simply who cannot find
places adapted to their capacities
when / see this, am moved to protest
against a system of education which
seems to me 80 narrow and so partial"
Considering these facts it does seem
that we are justifable in making the
assertion, that with the one million dol
lars annually appropriated to our pub
lie schools by the state, in connection
with the power to levy local tax of
Is mills, much more might be accomp.
lished, in practical way, than is done
under the present system OF school
management.
Of course, it cannot be done by any
radical change in methods or course of
study, but must be brought about
gradually, through the united efforts
of teachers, parents, directors, and
superintendents but the greatest re-
sponsibility rests with superintendents
and teachers. Superintendents should
grant certificates to no teacher who is
not thoroughly conversant with all the
laws and customs of business, and
should impress upon the minds of teach
ers the importance of this branch of
education Then the conscientious
teacher will lose no opportunity to in
struct his pupils in whatever will be of
use to them in after life.
This may be done in various ways,
and need take no time from the regular
routine of school work, but merely fill
up the odd intervals, or spare moments.
As an example, the teacher can get of
any merchant difficult and complicat-
ed account with some customer, and
give each of the more advanced pupils
copy to take home and settle during
the evening, then, some time the next
day, he can easily find time to correct
mistakes and make the necessary ex
planation to the whole school. From
the same source he can also ge. all the
various business papers, such as bills
of-lading, cheoks, rebates, protests,
bills of-sale, receipts, etc. and explain
their nature, uses, and forms to the
school. Many of these can be brought
from home by the pupils, or they could
be drawn on the board, by the teacher
using imaginary names, amounts, etc
but actual transactions are more inter
estiug, and the more interesting a sub
ject is, the deeper impression il makes
upon a pupil's mind. Of course, this
is only an example, the same course of
instl uction may be carried on indefinite
ly throughout the term, and Instructions
may even be given in the uses of var